Breathe
by moviemaniac217
Summary: Being nearly strangled by Margaret has it's consequences. And the Doctor and Jack are about to find out what they are. Set after "Boom Town."


So my first real Doctor Who fic. What do you think?

…..

She couldn't breathe.

Waves of panic crashed over her as Margaret's claws tightened around her neck a little more, cutting down her air supply by another fraction. Memories long buried in the back of her mind tried to force their way back to the surface and she shoved them down viciously, she would deal with them later. Now was definitely not the time.

…..

It wasn't until after they'd dropped the egg Margaret off at Raxacoricofallapatorius that the adrenaline high she'd been riding on finally began to ebb and she practically collapsed into the pilot's chair.

Jack and the Doctor exchanged a worried look as the latter made his way over and knelt in front of her.

"Rose," he said softly and waited until her tired brown eyes met his," Are you alright?"

"'m fine," she said and gave him a half smile before surrendering to the urge to lean back in the seat and close her eyes.

The Doctor frowned at her worriedly, eyes tracing her features before they caught sight of some discoloration at her neck. His jaw clenched as his eyes traced the slight purplish-red marks that were beginning to form against the creaminess of her skin. Carefully, he reached out his hand and brushed his fingers softly against the injured skin.

Normally, such an action wouldn't have bothered her at all. In fact she usually enjoyed touches like that. But she was tired, her head ached, she'd nearly been strangled, and she was still trying very hard to shove back certain unpleasant memories from earlier. So when the Doctor touched her, she reacted instinctively. She jerked back and raised her arms over her head to protect her face while her body jerked away and slightly folded into itself.

The Doctor jerked his hand backing surprise and his brow crinkled in worry as he gripped his knees to keep himself from touching her.

"Rose," he said, vaguely aware of Jack coming to a stop next to him," Rose?"

She jerked and immediately unfolded herself, trainers landing on the floor with a metallic thud. "I'm sorry, 'm just tired…. I'm going to bed. G'night," she mumbled, not making eye contact with either of them and basically bolting from the console room as if the Devil himself was after her.

…..

The Doctor and Jack both watched with worried eyes as she disappeared out the door and the Doctor's hearing at least could make out the sound of her door being shut with a little more force that necessary. He slowly let out a breath he'd been holding for a while and stood back up, crossing his arms across his chest and frowning at the empty doorway.

"Doctor, what was that?" Jack asked, still slightly shocked at the reaction Rose had had to a simple touch," I've never seen her act like that."

"I know, it was almost instinct though," he said, voice taking on a steely edge as he replayed the last few moments," Humans normally react like that when they've done it enough to make it a habit."

He glanced over to see Jack standing with his fists clenched and blue eyes snapping with anger. "Do you think that someone hurt Rose then? Maybe in some way similar to Margaret?" he asked with an edge that matched the Time Lord's at the thought of someone hurting Rose.

"I don't know, and I'm not entirely sure that bringing it up with Rose is such a good idea."

"But Doc," Jack began only to be cut of by a stern shake of the Doctor's head. "Right now everything is too raw for her, let 'er calm down and collect herself. Then we'll ask her."

"I thought you said it wasn't a good idea."

I changed my mind."

Jack frowned, not really liking the idea of upsetting Rose after she might have finally collected herself, but sighed in resignation after getting a look at the Doctor's no-nonsense expression. The Doctor clasped his arm and gave him a half-smile before heading off towards the kitchen to make tea, pretending not to notice Jack trailing behind him like a moping puppy.

…..

_ She couldn't breath._

_ Adrenaline and fear coursed through her veins as her small hands scratched at the larger, coarser ones that wrapped around her throat. _

_ "Stop," she whimpered, brown eyes wide with terror," Please stop. I can't breathe."_

_ The man's lips twisted into a cruel smirk as he increased the pressure a bit," I could care less, and your mum's the same way. And remember Rose," his voice followed her into the darkness," Don't tell anyone."_

_….._

_ She couldn't breathe._

_ She was lying on the bed, struggling to get out from beneath him. He tightened his grip and knocked her head against the headboard hard enough to make her see stars. _

_ "This'll teach you a less'n," the drunken voice of her boyfriend slurred harshly," When I say to do someth'n', you lissen."_

_ "Jimmy stop," she gasped, tears rolling down her cheeks," You're hurting me, I can't breath."_

_ Jimmy laughed, the putrid smell of his alcohol laden breath and cruel taunts following her into the abyss of oblivion," Don't tell any'ne, they wouldn't care 'bout you an'way."_

_….._

_ She couldn't breathe._

_ Margaret's claws closed around her neck and she felt the urge to revert back to her childhood reaction. But she wasn't a child anymore, and she couldn't show weakness with her best friend and the man she loved watching her. _

_ "I can't breathe," her mind cried out," Let me go, I can't breath. Please, NO!"_

_….._

Her eyes flew open as she gasped for air, mind still hazy with sleep and the remaining tendrils of fear. Two figures loomed into her vision and she let out a frightened whimper and thrashed wildly, trying desperately to get away.

"No," she murmured frantically, the only word her sleep-addled mind could form," No, no, no, no, no."

"Rose," a deep voice with a Northern accent said gently," Rose, it's okay. You're okay."

She quit struggling as the voice penetrated through the remaining veil and she sat up, trying desperately not to tremble.

"Doctor?" she whispered hoarsely.

"I'm here Rose," he said and brushed a lock of hair from her sweaty face," Welcome back."

She sniffed and stared blankly at the glass of water that appeared in front of her, before accepting it and sending a grateful look to a very worried Jack who sat on the side of her bed. After a few sips, she finally felt strong enough to speak.

"What happened?" she asked quietly, handing the glass back to the ex-Time Agent who set it on her bedside table.

"We were hoping you could tell us Rosie," Jack said quietly," We heard you screaming and found you having what looked to be one hell of a nightmare."

"It was nothing," she said and rubbed her temples tiredly," I'm sorry I woke you both up."

"Rose you don't need to apologize," the Doctor said and gently removed her hands from her head to grasp them in his won," Everyone has nightmares, it's nothing to be ashamed of."

Rose just nodded and looked down, gazing at their entwined fingers without really seeing them. The Doctor sighed," Rose I know that today was bad, but I've never seen you act like that. It almost seemed like it was a habit by how fast you reacted to me."

"We're worried about you Rose," Jack said, picking up where the Doctor left off," We both can tell that something happened to you Rosie. We just want to know what."

Rose sat quietly, mind whirling in a million different directions. Her past was her past, and she desperately wanted to leave it there. Deep inside, however, she knew that this had been going to come out sooner or later. She might as well get it over with.

"When I was little," she said softly, so softly that the two men had to strain to hear her," Mum had a boyfriend named Steven. He seemed nice at first, and he always treated me nicely when she was around. When she left however, he'd... hurt…me."

"Did he ever?" Jack trailed off, eyes snapping with anger at the thought of a man doing that to Rose.

"No, he just found it fun to beat me and choke me until I blacked out. Mum caught him at it one day and called the police. She wouldn't let me out of her sight for months after that and nearly drove herself half-mad with guilt."

She paused and swiped at the tears that had begun to roll down her face during her story before taking a deep breath and forcing herself to continue.

"When I was sixteen I got mixed up with a bloke named Jimmy Stone. I was in the middle of a rebellious stage and he was nothing but trouble. I ended up moving into his flat with him, and things just went downhill from there. He spent a lot of time down at the pub and the drunker he was, the more violent he got. It was like Steven all over again. He also liked to strangle me after he r…." she finally broke down into violent sobbing that broke the three hearts of the men listening to her.

They both moved as one and making sure to not frighten Rose, they maneuvered her and themselves so that she was snuggled safely between them. She looked at both of them, eyes wide and filled with tears and uncertainty.

"Would… would you both stay with me? Just until I fall asleep," she asked timidly.

"Try and stop us," Jack said with a smile and tightened his arm around her waist.

She smiled and lulled by the sense of safety and the steady thrum of three hearts, she fell asleep with Jack following her moments later. The Doctor stayed awake for awhile longer as he processed all that he had learned.

He wanted nothing more than to go back and kill those men who decided to hurt Rose, and maybe give Jackie Tyler and earful while he was at it, but he couldn't. Sighing, he admitted to himself that it was probably just as well. Finally he closed eyes and fell asleep as well, a fleeting smile crossing his lips as a stray thought crossed his mind.

The Laws of Time didn't say that he couldn't go back in time and knock both those sorry blokes out.

…...

I've had the ideas for some new crossovers running through my mind and was wondering if anyone would be interested in reading any of the following? I promise that they would be interesting. Let me know what you think.

Numbers/Grimm

Numbers/Arrow

Numbers/Doctor Who

Doctor Who/ Grimm

Doctor Who/ Arrow

Arrow/ Grimm


End file.
